Methods for fabricating 3D semiconductor device packages, resulting packages and systems incorporating such packages

ABSTRACT

Methods of forming semiconductor device packages comprising stacking multiple dice, the die stack exhibiting thin bond lines and having an outer environmental coating, the bond lines and environmental coating comprising an in situ formed compound. Semiconductor device packages so formed and electronic systems incorporating such packages are also disclosed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods of fabricating packagescomprising multiple semiconductor dice. More particularly, embodimentsdisclosed herein relate to methods for fabricating three-dimensionalpackages comprising multiple, stacked semiconductor dice, resultingpackages and systems incorporating such packages.

BACKGROUND

As the electronics industry has evolved and encompassed more anddifferent applications, for example, smart phones and other mobiledevices, increasingly compact personal (laptop and tablet) computers,artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and cloud computing,there is an ever-increasing demand for high density, small form factormodular packages comprising stacked semiconductor dice. In such aninstance, form factor includes not only the footprint (length and width)of a package but also the height, a significant consideration in mobileapplications among others. Such demand is not only directed towardmemory die packages, but also toward packages comprising not only memorydice but also memory dice in combination with one or more of logic,processor and radiofrequency (RF) dice.

While it has been demonstrated to be possible to fabricate suchpackages, the ability to do so to provide a small form factor at areasonable cost and acceptable yield on a commercial scale has to date,eluded the semiconductor industry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 through 14 are schematic cross-sectional views of an embodimentof a method of fabricating a semiconductor device package according toan embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of asemiconductor die of a package according to embodiments of thedisclosure;

FIG. 16A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor devicepackage fabricated according to an embodiment of the disclosure andincluding memory dice and an RF die;

FIG. 16B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor devicepackage fabricated according to an embodiment of the disclosure andincluding memory dice and a logic die; and

FIG. 17 is a block diagram of an electronic system including at leastone semiconductor device package according to one or more embodiments ofthe disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Methods of fabricating semiconductor device packages comprisingmultiple, stacked semiconductor dice are disclosed. In some embodiments,the packages comprise only memory dice, while in other embodiments thepackages comprise memory dice and at least one other type of die, forexample, a processor, logic or radiofrequency (RF) die.

The following description provides specific details, such as sizes,shapes, material compositions, and orientations in order to provide athorough description of embodiments of the disclosure. However, a personof ordinary skill in the art would understand that the embodiments ofthe disclosure may be practiced without necessarily employing thesespecific details. Embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced inconjunction with conventional fabrication techniques employed in theindustry. In addition, the description provided below does not form acomplete process flow for manufacturing a semiconductor device package,a semiconductor device package, or a higher-level assembly including asemiconductor device package. Only those process acts and structuresnecessary to understand the embodiments of the disclosure are describedin detail below. Additional acts to form a complete semiconductor devicepackage, or higher-level assembly including a semiconductor devicepackage from process and package described herein may be performed byconventional fabrication processes.

Drawings presented herein are for illustrative purposes only, and arenot meant to be actual views of any particular material, component,structure, device, or system. Variations from the shapes depicted in thedrawings as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/ortolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments described herein arenot to be construed as being limited to the particular shapes or regionsas illustrated, but include deviations in shapes that result, forexample, from manufacturing. For example, a region illustrated ordescribed as box-shaped may have rough and/or nonlinear features, and aregion illustrated or described as round may include some rough and/orlinear features. Moreover, sharp angles between surfaces that areillustrated may be rounded, and vice versa. Thus, the regionsillustrated in the figures are schematic in nature, and their shapes arenot intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and do notlimit the scope of the present claims. The drawings are not necessarilyto scale.

As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,”“characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive oropen-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements ormethod acts, but also include the more restrictive terms “consisting of”and “consisting essentially of” and grammatical equivalents thereof. Asused herein, the term “may” with respect to a material, structure,feature or method act indicates that such is contemplated for use inimplementation of an embodiment of the disclosure and such term is usedin preference to the more restrictive term “is” so as to avoid anyimplication that other, compatible materials, structures, features andmethods usable in combination therewith should or must be, excluded.

As used herein, the terms “longitudinal,” “vertical,” “lateral,” and“horizontal” are in reference to a major plane of a substrate (e.g.,base material, base structure, base construction, etc.) in or on whichone or more structures and/or features are formed and are notnecessarily defined by earth's gravitational field. A “lateral” or“horizontal” direction is a direction that is substantially parallel tothe major plane of the substrate, while a “longitudinal” or “vertical”direction is a direction that is substantially perpendicular to themajor plane of the substrate. The major plane of the substrate isdefined by a surface of the substrate having a relatively large areacompared to other surfaces of the substrate.

As used herein, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,”“lower,” “bottom,” “above,” “over,” “upper,” “top,” “front,” “rear,”“left,” “right,” and the like, may be used for ease of description todescribe one element's or feature's relationship to another element(s)or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Unless otherwise specified,the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass differentorientations of the materials in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. For example, if materials in the figures are inverted,elements described as “over” or “above” or “on” or “on top of” otherelements or features would then be oriented “below” or “beneath” or“under” or “on bottom of” the other elements or features. Thus, the term“over” can encompass both an orientation of above and below, dependingon the context in which the term is used, which will be evident to oneof ordinary skill in the art. The materials may be otherwise oriented(e.g., rotated 90 degrees, inverted, flipped) and the spatially relativedescriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise.

As used herein, the terms “configured” and “configuration” refer to asize, shape, material composition, orientation, and arrangement of oneor more of at least one structure and at least one apparatusfacilitating operation of one or more of the structure and the apparatusin a predetermined way.

As used herein, the term “substantially” in reference to a givenparameter, property, or condition means and includes to a degree thatone of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the givenparameter, property, or condition is met with a degree of variance, suchas within acceptable manufacturing tolerances. By way of example,depending on the particular parameter, property, or condition that issubstantially met, the parameter, property, or condition may be at least90.0% met, at least 95.0% met, at least 99.0% met, or even at least99.9% met.

As used herein, the term “about” in reference to a given parameter isinclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by thecontext (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated withmeasurement of the given parameter).

As used herein the terms “layer” and “film” mean and include a level,sheet or coating of material residing on a structure, which level, sheetor coating may be continuous or discontinuous between portions of thematerial, and which may be conformal or non-conformal, unless otherwiseindicated.

As used herein the term “wafer” means and includes not only aconventional, substantially circular wafer of a single material, such assingle crystal silicon, but also other bulk substrates in the form of asilicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure, as well as bulk substratescomprising other semiconductor materials, for example, germanium, orgallium arsenide.

As used herein, the term “compound” means and includes a materialconsisting of two or more different types of atoms in a fixed,stoichiometric or non-stoichiometric proportion and having a uniquechemical structure held together in defined spatial arrangement bychemical bonds.

FIG. 1 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a base semiconductorwafer, for example, a silicon wafer 100, comprising multiple dielocations 102. Each die location 102 comprises an active surface, whichmay also be characterized as a device layer 104, comprising activecircuitry 106, for example, memory circuitry in the form of dynamicrandom access memory (DRAM) circuitry or NAND flash memory circuitry.Active circuitry 106 is in electrical communication with externalconductive elements in the form of, for example, copper pillars 108having (optional) solder caps 110 thereon. FIG. 1 also denotes scribeareas 112 in silicon wafer 100, delineating so-called “streets” betweenadjacent semiconductor die locations 102.

FIG. 2 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of silicon wafer 100inverted from an orientation shown in FIG. 1 and secured to a carriersubstrate 114, which may comprise silicon, a glass, a ceramic, or othersuitable material. Wafer 100 is secured to carrier substrate 114 with atemporary adhesive 116, for example, a thermal release adhesive, asolvent release adhesive, or an ultraviolet (UV) release adhesive, withcopper pillars 108 and (optional) solder caps 110 embedded in thetemporary adhesive 116 and back side 118 of silicon wafer 100 facingaway from carrier substrate 114.

In FIG. 3, silicon wafer 100, while secured to carrier substrate 114,has been thinned from its back side 118, for example, from an initialthickness of about 600 μm to about 700 μm to a final thickness ofbetween about 30 μm to about 70 μm. Thinning may be effected by, forexample, coarse back grinding followed by fine grinding or polishing,wet (chemical) etching, or dry plasma etching, or by chemical mechanicalplanarization (CMP). Of course, the process or processes employed inthinning are related to whether through vias are preformed in wafer 100or formed after attachment to a carrier substrate, as described below.

As shown in FIG. 4, after silicon wafer 100 is thinned, in oneembodiment a dielectric material 122, which may also be characterized asa dielectric bond line material, is formed on the back side 118, afterwhich through vias 120 are formed, example, by aniosotropic (e.g.,reactive ion) etching, through the dielectric material 122 on the backside 118 of wafer 100 and extending though wafer 100 to electricallyconnect to active circuitry 106. Through vias 120 are lined with adielectric material 222 and via conductors 124 comprising conductivepillars 126, for example, of a metal such as copper, are formed by adeposition process. In another embodiment, through vias 120 are formedbefore dielectric material 122 is formed, and a common dielectricmaterial 122 lines through vias 120 and extends over back side 118 ofwafer 100. Via conductor 124 and integral conductive pillar 126 are thenformed. Dielectric material 122 may be a non-polymeric material, bedevoid of filler material and may comprise, for example, a silicon oxide(e.g., SiO₂), a silicon nitride (e.g., Si₃N₄), a silicon oxynitride(e.g., SiO_(x)N_(y)), or a TEOS oxide or an O₃/TEOS oxide, as disclosedin U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2017/01486674 A1, assigned to theAssignee of the present disclosure. Dielectric material 122 may beformed as a compound in situ by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomiclayer deposition (ALD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition(PECVD), sub atmospheric chemical vapor deposition (SACVD) physicalvapor deposition, atmospheric pressure plasma deposition, or other knowntechnique. Dielectric material 222, if employed, may comprise one of theabove-referenced materials and comprise the same, or a differentdielectric material than dielectric material 122.

In another embodiment, through vias 120 may be preformed as blind viaslined with a dielectric material 222 and comprising via conductors 124in wafer 100 prior to thinning thereof as illustrated in FIG. 3.Conductors 124 are then exposed by etching from the back side 118 ofwafer 100 to provide conductive pillars 126 protruding from the backside 118, after which another dielectric material 122 may be applied asa layer over back side 118 of wafer 100 to arrive at the structure shownin FIG. 4.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, dielectric material 122 as formedis extremely thin, on the order of about 10 μm to about 25 μm, toprovide a very narrow bond line with a subsequently placed semiconductordie, as described below.

FIGS. 5A and 5B depict another wafer 100′ comprising semiconductor dielocations 102, each bearing active circuitry 106 on a device layer 104operably coupled to terminal pads 108′, which may comprise copper andwhich may also be characterized as bond pads. Semiconductor dielocations 102 are separated by scribe areas 112. Wafer 100′ as shownhas, like wafer 100, been thinned from an initial thickness of about 600μm to about 700 μm to a final thickness of between about 30 μm to about70 μm. As shown in FIG. 5B, wafer 100′ has been separated, or“singulated,” at cut 128 through scribe areas 112 into individualsemiconductor dice 102′. Notably, as shown in FIG. 5B, the singulationis effected with a very narrow dicing saw blade width, leaving asubstantial width of semiconductor material within scribe area 112intact on each side of cut 128.

In FIG. 6, a first level of individual semiconductor dice 102′singulated from a wafer 100′ and preferably comprising known good die(KGD) have been placed in mutually laterally spaced relationship, usingconventional pick-and-place equipment, on wafer 100, each semiconductordie 102′ superimposed on a semiconductor die location 102 of wafer 100with terminal pads 108′, aligned with conductive pillars 126 of anunderlying semiconductor die location 102. Electrical coupling betweenconductive pillars 126 and terminal pads 108′ may be effected, forexample, by diffusion bonding of a copper pillar 126 to a copperterminal pad 108′, or by dielectric bonding between each semiconductordie 102′ and dielectric material 122 over its corresponding underlyingsemiconductor die location 102, using dielectric material 122 previouslyapplied to the back side 118 of wafer 100. Dielectric bonding may beeffected as known in the art, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.9,391,143. With either technique, a very thin bond line may be achievedwhile ensuring mutual electrical and mechanical coupling betweenadjacent semiconductor dice 102′ and between a semiconductor dielocation 102 and the adjacent semiconductor die 102′. Due to thermalbudget and process time issues, diffusion bonding or dielectric bondingmay be effected after all levels of semiconductor dice 102′ are stacked.

In FIG. 7, another dielectric material 122 is applied over and coversthe back sides 118′ of semiconductor dice 102′ and extends into spaces130 between adjacent semiconductor dice 102′.

As shown in FIG. 8, a chip-on-wafer (COW) thinning process has beenperformed to remove excess dielectric material 122 over the back sides118′ of semiconductor dice 102′, leaving dielectric material 122 inspaces 130 between adjacent semiconductor dice 102′ and over exposedside surfaces 132 thereof.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9, yet another dielectric material 122 isdisposed over the back sides 118′ of semiconductor dice 102′. Throughvias 120 extending to active circuitry 106 of each semiconductor dice102′ are then formed from the back sides 118′ thereof through dielectricmaterial 122 by a conventional technique. Through vias 120 are thenlined with a dielectric material 222 and filled with a conductivematerial, for example, copper, to form conductors 124 comprisingconductive pillars 126 protruding above back sides 118′ of semiconductordice 102′ and to the surface of dielectric material 122.

In another embodiment, the first level of singulated semiconductor dice102′ being placed on semiconductor die locations 102 (FIG. 6) andfurther levels of singulated semiconductor dice 102′ being stacked (FIG.10) have each been previously thinned and further processed at the waferlevel (FIG. 5A) by application of a dielectric material 122 to back side118, then forming through vias 120 into wafer 100′, through vias thenbeing lined with dielectric material 222 and filled with a conductivematerial to form conductors 124 comprising conductive pillars 126protruding above back sides 118 to the surface of dielectric material122. Semiconductor dice 102′, with dielectric material 122 andconductive pillars 126 in place, may then be singulated and stacked.Such an embodiment may facilitate more rapid fabrication of the stacksof semiconductor dice 102′, increase yield and enable tighter control ofbond line width.

Additional levels of semiconductor dice 102′ as shown in FIG. 10 arethen stacked at each semiconductor die location 102 of wafer 100, eachsemiconductor die 102′ secured and electrically connected to anunderlying semiconductor die 102′ as described above with respect toFIGS. 6 through 9 and configured with through vias 120 and conductivepillars 126 for connection to terminal pads 108′ of anothersemiconductor die 102′ until a desired number of layers of semiconductordice 102′ is formed. The uppermost semiconductor die 102 u′, however,does not require through vias. At that point, and as illustrated in FIG.10, back sides 118′ of uppermost semiconductor dice 102′ are coveredwith dielectric material 122 extending into spaces 130 between adjacentsemiconductor dice 102′ and over exposed side surfaces 132 thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 11, the assemblies of stacked semiconductor dice102′ on semiconductor die locations 102 of wafer 100 are partiallysingulated to a depth into wafer 100, for example, above device layer104, singulation being effected in first cuts with a dicing saw of awidth W sized to remove dielectric material 122 or 222 from betweenadjacent semiconductor dice 102′ as well as material from substantiallyan entirety of each scribe area 112 of mutually adjacent semiconductordice 102′ in adjacent stacks of semiconductor dice 102′ and form alarger space 134.

As shown in FIG. 12, another dielectric material 322 comprising anenvironmental coating deposited by, for example, one of the techniquesreferred to above is effected to prevent moisture penetration into eachassembly 200 of multiple semiconductor dice 102′ and a partiallysingulated semiconductor die location 102. Dielectric material 322extends over back sides of the uppermost dice 102′ of each assembly 200,over sides of the die stacks in contact with material of thesemiconductor dice 102′, and laterally outwardly over exposed surfacesof the partially singulated semiconductor die locations 102. Suitabledielectric materials may be non-polymeric and formed in situ overassemblies 200. Such dielectric materials include, for example, asilicon nitride or a silicon oxynitride, applied to form a substantiallyconformal coating of a thickness of between about 25 μm and about 50 μm.FIG. 15 illustrates the effect of such an applied dielectric material322 to not only substantially conformally coat exterior surfaces of thedie stacks, but also to fill any exposed peripheral spaces 136 between,for example, a semiconductor die 102′ and an adjacent, previouslyapplied dielectric material 122 in the bond line between mutuallysuperimposed semiconductor dice 102′.

In FIG. 13, each assembly 200 is then singulated in second, narrowercuts through an entire depth of wafer 100 and into adhesive 116 througha center of each space 134 and using a dicing saw of a widthsubstantially less than the width of spaces 134 to cut gaps 138, so asto not contact dielectric material 322 of protective coating on sidesurfaces 132 of semiconductor dice 102′ and completely sever adjacentsemiconductor die locations 102 of wafer 100 and singulate assemblies200. Each singulated assembly 200 is then removed from carrier substrate114 by conventional pick-and-place equipment after adherence of adhesive116 to carrier substrate 114 is substantially compromised by applicationof an appropriate release agent depending on the nature of adhesive 116(e.g., a thermal release adhesive, a solvent release adhesive, or anultraviolet (UV) release adhesive). An individual assembly 200 afterpackage completion is shown in FIG. 14.

FIG. 16A depicts multiple in-process unsingulated assemblies 200 ofheterogeneous semiconductor dice 102′ stacked on semiconductor dielocations 102 of a wafer 100 at a stage of fabrication corresponding tothat depicted and described with respect to FIG. 10. In FIG. 16A, wafer100 comprises logic die locations 1021, upon which DRAM dice 102 d′ arestacked, and over which at the top of each stack is an RF die 102 r′.

FIG. 16B depicts other, singulated assemblies 200 of semiconductor dice102′ stacked on severed semiconductor die locations 102 of a wafer 100prior to removal from carrier substrate 114. In FIG. 16B, wafer 100comprises DRAM die locations 102 d, multiple DRAM dice 102 d′ arestacked on each DRAM die location 102 d, and at the top of each stack isan RF die 102 r′.

Notably, in each of FIGS. 16A and 16B, the relatively wide scribe areaat a periphery of each die location 102 and each die 102′ in a givenstack provides wide tolerances for singulation and enables semiconductordice exhibiting different functionalities to be stacked into an assemblyof controlled die width, which may then be fabricated into a cube withmutually parallel, aligned die sides, facilitating environmentalprotection with a post-assembly applied coating of the types disclosed.A conventional requirement for encapsulation of the assemblies with amolding compound is also eliminated. In addition, loss of wafer materialmay be minimized by close spacing of adjacent die stacks, enabled by useof the disclosed dielectric materials, and heights of the die stacks maybe substantially reduced by use of the disclosed dielectric materials inthe bond line in lieu of conventional dielectrics such as non-conductivepastes, non-conductive films and capillary underfills. Finally, thenoted elimination of a requirement for encapsulation of the assemblieswith a conventional molding compound significantly reduces thefootprint, and thus the real estate required by the package onhigher-level packaging.

Semiconductor devices (e.g., the packaged semiconductor deviceassemblies 200) in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure may beused in embodiments of electronic systems of the disclosure. Forexample, FIG. 17 is a block diagram of an illustrative electronic system300 according to embodiments of disclosure. The electronic system 300may comprise, for example, a computer or computer hardware component, aserver or other networking hardware component, a cellular telephone, adigital camera, a personal digital assistant (PDA), portable media(e.g., music) player, a Wi-Fi or cellular-enabled tablet such as, forexample, an iPAD® or SURFACE® tablet, an electronic book, a navigationdevice, etc. The electronic system 300 includes at least one memorydevice 302. The memory device 302 may include, for example, anembodiment of a semiconductor device assembly 200 described herein. Suchmemory device may, optionally, include dice configured for otherfunctions such as, for example, a logic die, an RF die, or both. Theelectronic system 300 may further include at least one electronic signalprocessor device 304 (often referred to as a “microprocessor”). Theelectronic system 300 may further include one or more input devices 306for inputting information into the electronic system 300 by a user, suchas, for example, a mouse or other pointing device, a keyboard, atouchpad, a button, or a control panel. The electronic system 300 mayfurther include one or more output devices 308 for outputtinginformation (e.g., visual or audio output) to a user such as, forexample, a monitor, a display, a printer, an audio output jack, aspeaker, etc. In some embodiments, the input device 306 and the outputdevice 308 may comprise a single touchscreen device that can be usedboth to input information to the electronic system 300 and to outputvisual information to a user. The input device 306 and the output device308 may communicate electrically with one or more of the memory device302 and the electronic signal processor device 304. It is alsocontemplated that, in lieu of separate memory and signal processordevices 302 and 304, a single assembly 200 may be configured as a systemin a package including a processor and/or other die functionalities asnoted previously.

In an embodiment, a method for fabricating a semiconductor devicepackage comprises adhering a wafer comprising laterally spacedsemiconductor die locations thereof to a carrier substrate with anactive surface of the wafer facing the carrier substrate, forming adielectric material over a back side of the wafer, placing a first levelof singulated semiconductor dice in mutually laterally spacedrelationship over respective semiconductor die locations and connectingconductive pillars protruding from the back side of the wafer throughthe dielectric material to aligned terminal pads of the semiconductordice.

In another embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor devicepackage comprises stacking multiple levels of singulated semiconductordice in mutually laterally spaced relationship over respectivesemiconductor die locations on a back side of a wafer, and beforestacking each singulated semiconductor die, forming a dielectric bondline material over a back side of a semiconductor die location or alower singulated semiconductor die. Terminal pads of singulated dice areconnected to conductive pillars exposed through the dielectric bond linematerial over the back sides of the semiconductor die locations or overback sides of a lower level of singulated semiconductor dice, cuts of afirst width are made into spaces between the singulated semiconductordice, into material in scribe areas thereof and into material of thewafer within scribe areas between semiconductor die locations. A coatingis formed over back sides of uppermost dice of the stacks, over sides ofthe singulated semiconductor dice and over material of the wafer betweensemiconductor die locations and cuts of a second, narrower width aremade between the stacks into and through remaining material of the waferbetween the semiconductor die locations.

In a further embodiment, a semiconductor device package comprises astack of semiconductor dice, wherein a surface of a lowermostsemiconductor die of the stack protrudes laterally beyond a periphery ofother, higher semiconductor dice of the stack, a non-polymericdielectric bond line material between adjacent semiconductor dice of thestack, connections between metal pillars and aligned terminal pads ofadjacent semiconductor dice of the stack, the connections comprisingdiffusion bonds or mutual contact secured by dielectric bonding of thesemiconductor dice with the dielectric bond line material and asubstantially conformal, non-polymeric coating extending over a backside of an uppermost semiconductor die of the stack, over and in contactwith material of the semiconductor dice on sides of the stack and overand in contact with the laterally protruding surface of the lowermostsemiconductor die of the stack.

In yet another embodiment, an electronic system comprises at least oneinput device, at least one output device, a processor device operablycoupled to the at least one input device and the at least one outputdevice and a memory device. The memory device comprises a stack ofsemiconductor dice, wherein a lowermost semiconductor die of the stackprotrudes laterally beyond a periphery of other, higher semiconductordice of the stack, a dielectric bond line material comprising an in situformed compound between adjacent semiconductor dice of the stack, andconnections between metal pillars and aligned terminal pads of adjacentsemiconductor dice of the stack, the connections comprising diffusionbonds or mutual contact secured by dielectric bonding of thesemiconductor dice. A substantially conformal coating comprising an insitu formed compound extends over a back side of an uppermostsemiconductor die of the stack, over and in contact with material of thesemiconductor dice on sides of the stack and over and in contact withthe laterally protruding lowermost semiconductor die of the stack.

While certain illustrative embodiments have been described in connectionwith the figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize andappreciate that embodiments encompassed by the disclosure are notlimited to those embodiments explicitly shown and described herein.Rather, many additions, deletions, and modifications to the embodimentsdescribed herein may be made without departing from the scope ofembodiments encompassed by the disclosure, such as those hereinafterclaimed, including legal equivalents. In addition, features from onedisclosed embodiment may be combined with features of another disclosedembodiment while still being encompassed within the scope of thedisclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor devicepackage, the method comprising: adhering a wafer comprising laterallyspaced semiconductor die locations thereof to a carrier substrate withan active surface of the wafer facing the carrier substrate; forming adielectric material over a back side of the wafer; placing a first levelof singulated semiconductor dice in mutually laterally spacedrelationship over respective semiconductor die locations; connectingconductive pillars protruding from the back side of the wafer throughthe dielectric material to aligned terminal pads of the singulatedsemiconductor dice; and forming a dielectric material over back sides ofthe singulated semiconductor dice of the first level and into spacestherebetween.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising formingthrough vias through the dielectric material and into the back side ofthe wafer to active circuitry of the semiconductor die locations, liningthe through vias with a dielectric material and filling the through viaswith a conductive material to form the conductive pillars.
 3. The methodof claim 1, further comprising, before adhering the wafer to the carriersubstrate: forming through vias in the wafer extending to an activecircuitry of the semiconductor die locations; lining the through viaswith a dielectric material; filling the through vias with a conductivematerial; thinning the wafer from the back side thereof to expose theconductive material as the conductive pillars; and after the wafer isadhered to the carrier substrate, forming the dielectric material overthe back side of the wafer and leaving exposed ends of the conductivepillars.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming throughvias through the dielectric material over the back sides of thesingulated semiconductor dice of the first level and into the back sidesthereof to active circuitry, lining the through vias in thesemiconductor dice with a dielectric material and filling the throughvias with conductive material to form the conductive pillars.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising, before placing the first level ofsingulated semiconductor dice in laterally spaced relationship overrespective semiconductor die locations: on at least one wafer, formingthrough vias in locations for the singulated semiconductor diceextending to active circuitry thereof; lining the through vias with adielectric material; filling the through vias with conductive material;and thinning the wafer from the back side thereof to expose theconductive material as conductive pillars.
 6. The method of claim 1,further comprising: placing at least another level of singulatedsemiconductor dice in mutually laterally spaced relationship overrespective singulated semiconductor dice of the first level to form diestacks; and connecting conductive pillars protruding from the back sidesof the first level of singulated semiconductor dice through thedielectric material to aligned terminal pads of the at least anotherlevel of singulated semiconductor dice.
 7. The method of claim 6,further comprising forming a dielectric material over back sides of theat least another level of singulated semiconductor dice and in spacestherebetween.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising making cutsof a first width between the die stacks and into scribe areas ofsingulated semiconductor dice of adjacent stacks and into, but notthrough, a material of the wafer comprising semiconductor die locations.9. The method of claim 8, further comprising forming an environmentallyprotective coating over a dielectric material on back sides of uppermostsingulated semiconductor dice in each stack, over sides of thesingulated semiconductor dice, and over sides of the material comprisingthe semiconductor die locations exposed by making the cuts.
 10. Themethod of claim 9, further comprising making second cuts narrower thanand entirely within the first cuts into and through remaining materialof the wafer comprising the semiconductor die locations and into anadhesive material adhering the wafer comprising the semiconductor dielocations to the carrier substrate.
 11. The method of claim 9, whereinforming an environmentally protective coating comprises forming asilicon nitride or a silicon oxynitride coating.
 12. The method of claim1, wherein connecting conductive pillars protruding from the back sideof the wafer through the dielectric material to aligned terminal pads ofthe semiconductor dice comprises at least one of dielectric bonding ofthe singulated semiconductor dice to the semiconductor die locations ordiffusion bonding of the conductive pillars to the respective terminalpads.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein forming a dielectric materialcomprises forming a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride, a siliconoxynitride, a tetra ethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) oxide or an ozone/TEOSoxide.
 14. A method of forming a semiconductor device package, themethod comprising: stacking multiple levels of singulated semiconductordice in mutually laterally spaced relationship over respectivesemiconductor die locations on a back side of a wafer; before stackingeach singulated semiconductor die, forming a dielectric bond linematerial over a back side of a semiconductor die location or a back sideof a lower level of singulated semiconductor die; connecting terminalpads of singulated dice to respective conductive pillars exposed throughthe dielectric bond line material over the back sides of thesemiconductor die locations or over the back sides of the lower level ofsingulated semiconductor dice; making cuts of a first width into spacesbetween the singulated semiconductor dice, into a material in scribeareas thereof and into the material of the wafer within scribe areasbetween semiconductor die locations; forming a coating over back sidesof uppermost dice of the stacks, over sides of the singulatedsemiconductor dice and over the material of the wafer betweensemiconductor die locations; and making cuts of a second, narrower widthbetween the stacks into and through remaining material of the waferbetween the semiconductor die locations.
 15. The method of claim 14,wherein forming a dielectric bond line material comprises forming asilicon oxide, a silicon nitride, a silicon oxynitride, a TEOS oxide oran O₃/TEOS oxide.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein forming a coatingcomprises forming a silicon nitride or a silicon oxynitride coating. 17.The method of claim 14, wherein connecting comprises at least one ofbonding with the dielectric bond line material or diffusion bonding ofthe conductive pillars to the respective terminal pads.
 18. The methodof claim 14, wherein forming a dielectric bond line material comprisesforming a dielectric material in situ.